Second edition

Beyond the Lab:

Naturalistic Approaches in Neuroscience

October 4th-9th, 2027

Buenos Aires, Argentina

This workshop brings together early-career and established and expert researchers in systems neuroscience and neuroethology. Through lectures, discussions and hands-on sessions, we explore conceptual and practical challenges in studying natural behaviour and its neural mechanisms in naturalistic settings.

Program overview:

Morning talks by early-career and established scientists, followed by afternoon discussion seminars, will invite participants to rethink current laboratory paradigms, explore new models and contexts, and move toward a more comprehensive understanding of behavior and the neural mechanisms that underlie it. Topics cover studying the neural basis of behavior in response to complex and natural stimuli, including stimuli presented as a function of the animal’s own movement; investigating behavior of species beyond standard model organisms, as well as natural populations; examining collective behavior or interactions between species; and conducting research directly in natural environments. We also feature hands‑on sessions where participants will learn basic concepts for building experimental devices designed for naturalistic approaches, as well as analyze behavioral signals from natural environments and experience the challenges they pose.